Chocolate halva babka

INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
560 g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp dry yeast
100 g sugar
100 g butter, softened
2 eggs
180ml milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
Chocolate spread
Halva crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten

METHOD

• Put all the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and knead by hand or in a stand mixer until a smooth and flexible dough forms. Make sure the salt doesn’t touch the yeast directly.
• Cover loosely with a dishtowel and allow to rise until doubled in volume.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle about 1½cm (½ inch) thick.
• Cover the dough with the chocolate spread and sprinkle generously with halva crumbs.
• Roll up lengthwise into a tight log and press down slightly to seal. Cut the log in half.
• Slice one of the log halves in half lengthwise down the middle and loosely twist together to form a braid. Repeat with the remaining dough log.
• Transfer each braid to a parchment-lined loaf pan and brush with egg. Set aside and allow to rise for another 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C.
• Bake the babka for about 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

TIPS:

• Leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight to rise.
• For a richer flavour, make a syrup of 175g sugar, 240ml water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Pour over the babka and serve.